Home Coming

Jarrah and I will head back to WA in November for some shows and I can't wait. It'll be a tour/ holiday and will be so great to catch up with friends and family in Perth and Dardanup. We'll be joined by a great percussionist/drum kit player Dave Szental. WA never ceases to show us a good time, and I'm sure this year won't disappoint.

Check out the tour dates and we hope to see you there!

November

Saturday 19th, 1pm - Moody Cow Brewery, Ferguson Rd, Dardanup. FREE
http://www.moodycow.com.au/

Sunday 20th, 12pm - Wild Bull Brewery, Pile Rd, Ferguson. FREE
http://www.wildbullbrewery.com.au/

Sunday 20th, 4pm - Hackersley Winery, Ferguson Rd, Ferguson. FREE
http://www.hackersley.com.au/

Tuesday 22nd, 7pm - Perth Blues Club supporting Toby, Charles Hotel, North Perth. Tickets on door.
http://www.perthbluesclub.com/

Friday 25th, 8pm -  Clancy's Fish Pub supporting Joe Black Trio, Fremantle. Tickets on door.
http://fremantle.clancysfishpub.com.au/

Saturday 26th - Linda Skrolys and Russell Sheridan Exhibition Opening(invite only)

Sunday 27th, 3pm - Rock and Roll High School Reunion Concert, Eliot St Bar, Bunbury. Tickets on door: $10
http://www.rocknrollhigh.com.au/main/page_gig_guide.html

Jarrah Thompson and Asha Henfry LIVE in Berlin

Jarrah Thompson, Bianca Aviaz and I travelled to Berlin recently to spend 5 weeks of music making. We busked almost every day in either Alexanderplatz or Brandenburger Tor and managed to sell 300 CD's as a bonus. Busking in Berlin was amazing; the people were open and excited to listen and people from all over Europe were exposed to our music. It was a beautiful, creative time for the 3 of us and we are already planning our next stint in Europe 2012; a busking and gigging tour for 2 months.

Check us out playing in Alexanderplatz, Berlin.

Jarrah Thompson Band play to over 6 million viewers!

On our third day in Brazil, we were picked up in a van and taken to Sao Paulo to play live on Brazil's Letterman style TV show; Programa do Jo. We played 2 tracks to a very excited live audience; Make You Feel and I am the One and had a short interview with Jo Soares, the host of the show. It was amazing experience and gave as a huge exposure hit. Everywhere we went, people came to our gigs because they had seen us on Programa do Jo. I guess with an audience of over 6 million, you're bound to get a few people interested!

Thank you to everyone who attended our shows around Australia!

So after 3 months of travelling in and out of Melbourne our "Dream on the Way" Single Launch Tour has come to an end. Jarrah Thompson and I had a great time in SA, TAS and the East Coast playing some really great shows with some of the most appreciative audiences we've ever come across (also some of the worst!). Some of the highlights were; catching the barge over and playing on Stradbroke Island; the Pacific Hotel in Yamba (amazing spot!) and the Royal Mail in Goodna (insane!). All in all it was a totally successful tour! We're currently organising the next Australian tour to release the album we recorded in Brazil, 2010 'Rio Claro.'

Here's a video from our tour in Tassy. ABC Northern Tasmania in Launceston had us in the studio to do a live set and interview.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2010/09/28/3023988.htm

Dream on The Way Single Launch Tour

Jarrah Thompson and I are currently in the middle of a National Single Launch tour promoting the release of our single 'Dream on the Way.' This single is the first to be released from the album recorded in Brazil called 'Rio Claro' which will be released in March 2011. You can download the single for free at: www.jarrahthompson.bandcamp.com

In the meantime, you can check out this clip of us down at the Longley Hotel in Tassy. Had a beautiful time at the Longley, our hosts Jack and Jill were extra lovely!

'Lost Control' - Stargazer (2008)

Jarrah Thompson (guitar, vox, stombox) Asha Henfry (flute)

Photo by Tony Gough

Kensington flautist flouts the norm

-By Mark Smith

KENSINGTON flautist Asha Henfry has never been one for convention when it comes to music.

Where others follow traditional classical and orchestral paths while learning the instrument, Henfry has always preferred to take an individual view.

Therefore agreeing to a random request to join Melbourne 1970s style psychedelic-rock band Jarrah Thompson while living in Perth last year was to be expected. The move has paid dividends, leading to a six-week Brazilian tour earlier this year, an appearance on Programa do Jo - Brazil’s equivalent of David Letterman - and a spot on the band’s second album Rio Claro.

This month Henfry will join guitarist Thompson on a three-month national tour in support of the album’s first single Dream on the Way.

The duo will be joined by the full band for the single’s launch at Northcote Social Club on October 28. Henfry described the band’s live show as a blend of experimental world music with a blues/rock vibe.

Tracks on the band’s Myspace page reveal a sound that throws back to Jethro Tull, Ted Nugent and Led Zeppelin.

“It’s an exciting time,” Henfry said of the band.

“Jarrah has been working hard on this for a long time and we are getting to the stage where we are starting to get some interest from festivals.”

Jarrah Thompson Band will perform at Northcote Social Club on October 28.

To book a flute lesson with Henfry, email ashahenfry@gmail.com

Jarrah Thompson Band in Brazil!!

It's still hard to believe it's happening, but in a couple of weeks time on the 2nd of July the Jarrah Thompson Band will depart Melbourne in a jet plane bound for Brazil. We will be in Brazil for 6 weeks playing 22 live performances at significant venues and festivals and recording an album. The album will have a different vibe to the 2008 release of Stargazer, with a more raw and live sound.

It's going to be an amazing journey for us all, sharing our music with the people of Brazil!

Check out the Jarrah Thompson Band tour website (in Portugese, but still worth a look): http://jarrahinbrazil.wordpress.com/

Here's the tour outline:

8 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Armazén Bar,Bauru,SP,BRAZIL
9 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: St. Patrick's Pub,Sao Carlos,SP,BRAZIL
10 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Bar da Montanha,Limeira,SP,BRAZIL
15 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Rio Rock & Blues Club,Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL
16 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: New York Pub,Poços de Caldas, MG, BRAZIL
17 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Vitrola Bar, Londrina, PR, BRAZIL
18 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Vila Dionísio, S.J. do Rio Preto, SP, BRAZIL
22 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Casa do Rock, Araraquara, SP, BRAZIL
23 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Clube do Vinil,Americana, SP, BRAZIL
24 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Cia Paulista Música & Bar Rio Claro, SP, BRAZIL
25 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Vila Dionísio, Ribeirão Preto, SP, BRAZIL
29 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: John Bull PUB, Curitiba, PR, BRAZIL
30 Jul 2010,11:00 PM: Ahoy Tavern Club, Blumenau, SC, BRAZIL
3 Aug 2010,11:00 PM: Casa Meva, Criciúma, SC, BRAZIL
4 Aug 2010,11:00 PM: Mississippi Delta Blues Bar, Caxias do Sul, RS, BRAZIL
5 Aug 2010,11:00 PM: John Bull PUB, Porto Alegre, RS, BRAZIL
7 Aug 2010,11:00 PM: Delta Blues, Campinas, SP, BRAZIL
8 Aug 2010,11:00 PM: Floresta Estadual Edmundo Navarro(STATE FOREST,Rio Claro,SP,BRAZIL)
12 Aug 2010,11:00 PM: Estação Cultural,Piracicaba, SP, BRAZIL

Jarrah Thompson Band at Sunbury.

Last weekend Jarrah Thompson Band was invited to perform at the Sunbury Backroad Music Festival, just on the outskirts of Melbourne. Back in the day this was an iconic festival attracting an average of 45,000 people each year. Sunbury was Australia's Woodstock. Bands included Chain, Madder lake, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Max Merritt, Skyhooks, Spectrum, Deep Purple and Sherbet. This year the festival had tried to be re-created with the return of legendary Australian bands Madder Lake, Spectrum and Chain plus some newer acts. Unfortunately the scene this year was not anywhere near the 45,000 mark, nevertheless we had a great time on stage. This was our first live performance of a whole pile of new songs and after being in a rehearsal room for months it was a welcome change. We finally had a chance to let all that energy out, it felt great.

Here's some videos from the night:

Looking forward

In a weeks time I will be driving in our Toyota Camry across the Nullarbor on the way to my new home....in Melbourne. Moving can be a really scary thing for a musician. Any artist understands the number of years and hard work it takes to gather enough contacts to sustain a career in the arts. Perth has served me well. I have made some great contacts and feel as though I will always be welcomed back into the scene when I return (one day). Although I was completely content and secure with the work I gained in Perth, there never did seem to be quite enough excitement. Whether or not this will change in Melbourne I don't know but as everyone says, it is the musical capital of Australia. I'm excited to discover what Melbourne can offer me. Long awaited bansuri lessons for one! I have always wanted to learn the bansuri properly but could not find anyone in Perth to teach me, but Melbourne is home to a few! It's fantastic! I'm very excited at the prospect of learning new things I would never have the opportunity the learn in Perth.

I am working hard already at trying to secure some work before I arrive in Melbourne and already I have landed a position with Jarrah Thompson's blues/rock/fusion band. I played with the band when they came to W.A for a tour through the South West and have since played a show with them on The Blues Train in Melbourne. There's exciting things happening for the band this year with another South West tour in April, 2010 and a tour/recording in Brazil in July/August 2010. It's set to be a great year already! Check out the tour website....

http://jarrahinbrazil.wordpress.com/

Expanding Horizons

During my years as a flautist I have realised that being put into the Classical flute player box was definitely not where I wanted to be. I want to be versatile and creative with my playing, try new techniques and learn new instruments. So this is what I now set out to be. I still love playing Classical music but I have interests in so many other style of music I don't want to stifle.

I'm currently striving towards this goal by playing with a blues rock band, Jarrah Thompson and band. It's the most fun I've had on stage in ages and I get to express myself in a way I thought I might never get the chance! I will post some videos with Jarrah soon but in the mean time check out my performance of Ravi Shankar's L'aube Enchantee. In my Honours year at WAAPA I studied Indian and Japanese inspired flute music for the Western flautist. This piece by Shankar is a great way to introduce yourself with Indian melody, form and rhythm. This was played at my 2007 Graduation Recital with Tony Maydwell on harp.